Dispensers and spreaders for spreading various types of material are generally well known. Powder and granular materials are typically amiable to this method of dispension. It is also well known to use powders for cleaning carpets. Various cleaning machines and scrubbers have been proposed. See for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,137,601 and 4,240,569. Also, specialized dispensers have been proposed for attachment to scrubbers and cleaners to uniformly spread and dispense cleaning powders.
Notwithstanding the various proposals for such dispensers, both internal and external to the scrubbers, those commercially available have been unsuccessful. The prevalent method for dispensing powders is by hand broadcasting a cleaning powder in front of the scrubber or cleaning machine. This operation requires two people--one broadcasting the cleaner and the other operating the machine. In the manual operation, the dispensing of the powder is typically inconsistent in amount and nonuniform in coverage.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a self-powered powder dispensing device which is adaptable to fit on cleaning units to dispense a uniform amount of cleaning powder. It is a further object of the invention to provide a dispensing device which dispenses of the powder in a uniform and consistent manner and without caking of the powder or clogging of the discharge openings. It is also an object of the invention to provide a dispensing device which is economical to produce and easy to maintain.